Dreams and Visions
edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss

Reviewed by Amy Ryder

This refreshing story collection can best be described as “fantasy for people who think they don’t like fantasy.”  I am one of those people.  A die-hard realistic fiction problem novel reader, I was attracted to this book because of the impressive authors writing for the collection: Joan Bauer, David Lubar, Mel Glenn, and Neal Shusterman, to name a few.  While their stories are great, readers will find new favorites that will keep them moving through the book quickly.

In Depressing Acres by Patrice Kindl, Mona is immediately suspicious of her new neighbor.  The old lady has weird plants growing in her yard, she dresses strangely, and children who enter her house don’t come out. She loves to give away delicious homemade sweets, and when adults eat the sweets they seem to stop wondering about the bizarre goings-on in the old lady’s house.  Now she’s after Mona’s little sister.

Jameel’s grown up in the US, but he and his family return to Pakistan when his grandfather dies.  Jameel’s grandfather and other spirits visit him and his cousin in Suzanne Fisher Staples’ vivid story Jameel and the House of Djinn.  The spirits want Jameel to know that his Pakistani heritage is valuable, and following his American values does not always lead to the best decision.

A bad case of writer’s block, a magician who casts real spells along with her card tricks, and a track star with a crush on a fellow runner who reminds her of her horse are just a few of the other characters you will meet in this delightfully varied collection that will attract new readers to the fantasy genre.